Automobile tire-protector.



A. A. OILAR.

' AUTOMOBILE TIRE PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1910.

993,710. Patented May 30, 1911.

Witnesses Inventor Attorneys ARTHUR A. OILAR, 0F YITTVILIAE, CALIFORNIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 20, 1910. Serial No. 567,940.

AUTOMOFILE TIRE-PROTECTOR.

Patented May 30, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, ARTHUR A. Oman, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittville, in the county of Lassen and State of California, have invented a new and useful Automobile Tire-Protector, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of this invention to provide, in a simple, merchantable and inexpensive form, a shield adapted to be mounted upon a vehicle tire, to prevent the same from injury, andto provide an anti-' slipping surface upon the wheel of which the tire is a component part.

Another object of the invention 1s to provide a tire shield which may readily be mounted upon and removed from the tire which is protected thereby, the device belng so constructed that it may be removed from the ,tire only when the tire is deflated, the inflation of the tire serving to hold the shield in place thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a grip piece of novel and improved form, and to provide means whereby the grip piece may be made to interlock with the section upon which it is mounted; the grip piece being so constructed, that, although thoroughly adequate to prevent the wheel wheel to be rotated in contact with the ground, without undue jar.

'The drawings show typical embodiments merely, and it is to be understood, that changes properly falling within the scope of what is claimed, can be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 is a fragmental side elevation of a wheel equipped with the device of my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of one of the elements which go to make up the shield, showing the grip piece mounted thereon; Fig. 3 is a top plan of one of the elements which go to make up the shield; and Fig. 4 is a transverse section of a wheel, the tire of which is partially inclosed by the device of my invention.

' In thevaccompanying drawings, the folly of the wheel is denoted by the numeral 1, the spokes by the numeral 2, and the rim by the numeral 3. The rim 3 carries the tire 4, which may be of any desired construction.

In the present instance, a simple clencher structure is shown, although, obviously, the

device may be used upon tires of any sort.

The device proper comprises a plurality of pivotally connected sections 5, the same being trough-like in general outline, as seen most clearly in Fig. 4. The side walls 6 of the sections 5 are extended downwardly around the tire 4, to a point well below the 1 J axis thereof. The lower edges of the side walls 6 of the sections 5 are spaced apart by a distance considerably less than the diameter of the tire 4; arid by reason thereof, the shield may be put upon the tire only when the tire is deflated. When thetireis indated, the tire will serve to hold the shield I securely in place, without the use of springs, or attaching devices'of any sort.

Outstandmg from the ends of the side walls 6, are oppxositely disposed ears 7 and 8. Those ears 8 w ich are located at one end of the section, are spaced more widely apart than those cars 7 which are located at the other end thereof, the construction being such that the ears 7 at theend of-a given section, may be inserted between the ears 8 and the next adjoining section. In the several ears 7 and 8, there are openings 9 adapted.

to be brought into alinement, and to receive rivets 10, or like retaining elements, whereby the sections 5 may be pivotally connected with each other. from slipping, it will nevertheless permit the The sections are corrugated transversely, thus forming u on the interior (if the sections, ribs 11, a apted to engage the tire 4, to prevent the shield, as an entity, from slipping upon the tire longitudinally of the same. The transverse corrugations in the sections 5 form transverse ribs 12upon the exterior of the said sections. 7

Grip pieces 14 are provided, and, as seen most clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawin ,these grip pieces are corrugated transverse upon their lower faces, to interlock with t e ribs 12 of the sections 5, so that the grip pieces will be held in place against slipping longitudinally of the sections upon which they are mounted. As a primary securing means,

at one end, as denoted by the numeral 16, the remote end faces being disposed substantially normal to the outer surfaces of the sections 5 upon which the grip pieces are mounted; the end faces being denoted by the numeral 17. As seen most clearly in Fig, i, the outer face of the grip piece 14!.- is rounded transversely, as shown. at 18, Moreover this outer-face is inclined from the end face 17 of the grip piece, toward the section 5, as seen in Fig. 2, end there do noted by the numeral 19. By referring still 'to Figi 52, it will be seen that the inclined outer face 19 of the grip piece is terminates flush with one of the transverse ribs 12 of I the-section 5, as seen st 26.

In practical operation, the tire is deflated end the shield is sprung about the tire. "When the tire is inflated, the shield will. be held securely in place, as seen in 4s. The sections 5 will, owing to their pivotal connection, yield suiliciently so that the resiliency or" the tire will in nowise be impaired. Obviously", the end faces 17 of the grip pieces 14: will prevent the wheel from slipping, even upon a frosted or frozen ground. By reason of the fact that the outer face of the grip piece is curved transversely, es denoted by the numeral 18, and

I by reason of the further fact that said outer face is inclined as denoted by the numeral 19,.the grip piece, although uflording e firm hold, will. cause no jar or concussion, when the wheel hooves in contact with the ground. 'By reason of the'further fact that, as shown at 20, the inclined time 19 of the grip piece terminates substantially flush with one of the outer ribs 193 of the section 5, there will be no jar when the point of contact between the wheel and the ground passes from the inclined face 19 of the grip piece let, onto the exterior surface of the section 5 proper, Owing to the fact that the grip piece 14; is

scenic pointed, shown at 16, the bearing area between the section 5 and the surface of the earth will increase gradually, thus lessening materially the jar, and promoting both the comfort of the occupants of the vehicle, and

the wearing qualities of the shield struc ture. By reason of the fact that the sections ere spaced apart from the rim 3 as shown at the tire i will. be permitted to give, without bringing the edges of the side walls e into contact with the rim, a contingency tending obviously to injure the contacting ports end to destroy the resiliency of the tire. I

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: n

in sdevice of the class dcscribed,a yieldu testimony that I claim the foregoing es my own,l have hereto affixed my signa ture in the presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR A. OILAR.

Witnesses J. Moss,

insure Ross. 

